This Day We Fight!: Breaking the Bondage of a Passive Spirit

THIS DAY WE

FIGHT!

THIS DAY WE

FIGHT!

Breaking the Bondage of a Passive Spirit

REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION

FRANCIS

FRANGIPANE

© 2005, 2010 by Francis Frangipane

Published by Chosen Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.chosenbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Frangipane, Francis.

This day we fight! : breaking the bondage of a passive spirit / Francis Frangipane. — Rev. and expanded ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8007-9491-0 (pbk.)

1. Spiritual warfare. I. Title.

BV4509.5.F745 2010

235'4—dc22               2010000046

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked message is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16       7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1 Fighting the Good Fight

1. The Bronze Bow

2. Fighting the Fight of Faith

3. This Day We Fight!

4. The War Mode

5. Love-Motivated Warfare

6. Embracing the Fight of Faith

Part 2 Exposing the Enemy’s Weapons

7. Overcoming Discouragement

8. If We Do Not Lose Heart

9. Goliath Had a Brother

10. Overcoming Fear

Part 3 Fighting for Our Loved Ones

11. Unwavering Perseverance

12. Your Appointment Awaits You

13. A Word to the Women of God

14. Prayer Warriors

15. Fighting for Our Families

Part 4 Fighting for the World around Us

16. The Real Jesus

17. Will Jesus Find Faith in You?

18. When David Captured Jerusalem

19. Hastened in Its Time

20. And Then the End Shall Come

21. Prophet, Priest and King

22. A Generation of Rulers

23. When America Blesses God

24. The Lord of Armies

Afterword

Preface

It is right that we should be aware of end-time events. Indeed, in the last hundred years, a great many prophecies have come to pass. Just as Jesus foretold, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and we’ve watched, horrified at the fulfillment of other prophetic events: In various places there will be famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). We’ve been amazed at Daniel’s predictions for the last days that knowledge will increase and many will go back and forth" (Daniel 12:4). To our dismay, lawlessness has also increased (see Matthew 24:12). To this list, let us not forget the restoration of Israel, a most significant sign of end times (see Ezekiel 36; Isaiah 49).

Yet, while it is clear we live in an era of extraordinary prophetic fulfillment, let us not get ahead of the Lord. Not every prophecy has been fulfilled. We’ve yet to see the emergence of a central antichrist figure (see 2 Thessalonians 2). There is no worldwide mark of the beast or single international currency (see Revelation 13:17). These things may be close, as it seems the stage is being set, but to be true to the pulse of God, they are yet unfulfilled. In fact, concerning the Antichrist’s appearance, Scripture says he will takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Let us keep in mind that the Temple has not yet been rebuilt. In fact, the Islamic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque sit on top of the Temple site.

I mention these unfulfilled prophecies so we can rightly calibrate our location on the timeline of end-time events. You see, there is still time to believe God for revival. It is not time to retreat and wait, but time to advance in faith. In fact, Acts 2 tells us that one of the main signs of the last days will be a great, final outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh. This last great movement will not be a little thing; rather, it will be accompanied by confirming wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below (Acts 2:19). During this last season the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven will be proclaimed in all the world for a witness, just as Jesus said, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

There are difficult times awaiting planet earth, but also spectacular times of revival and harvest as well (see Isaiah 60:1–3). We will have to fight. Perhaps the most frequently mentioned end-time sign is the spiritual passivity that will lull many to drowsiness and indifference concerning the things of God (see Matthew 25). It is this paralysis of passivity that I hope to expose in this book.

Introduction

Overcomer.

Ultimately, if we intend to follow Christ, we must think of ourselves not just as Christians, but more specifically as overcomers. The Church is overstocked with people who identify themselves as Christians but have no determined will to fight the fight of faith. They simply have adjusted to the level of their oppression and now tolerate a religious, but mostly empty, spiritual life.

Beloved, it is not enough to sit regularly in church or even be familiar with the promises of God. We are called to possess them! The Bible says it is through faith and patience that we overcome and gain heaven’s treasures (Hebrews 6:12; see also Revelation 2:3). Although some breakthroughs might take years in coming, we must not quit. Christ assures us that our lives can change, and that when they do, we, like salt and light, will transform the world around us.

There may be numerous reasons why so many Christians have attained so few of God’s promises. One core reason, however, is they are in bondage to a passive spirit, which is the theme of this book.

Passivity arrests our will in many ways. We may have become lukewarm because we have been disappointed; or perhaps we are harboring offenses and hardening our hearts; or maybe we have been living an undisciplined or sinful life. The source of our spiritual passivity may also be demonic warfare, or it may be fear or just poor health or diet. Yet whatever makes us spiritually passive also leaves us spiritually vulnerable.

Let me explain. The virtue of Christianity does not flow from dogma or church services, although these are vital elements of our faith. Our source of spiritual life flows from our daily union with God in Christ. We do not bear fruit on our own. Jesus said if we abide in Him, then we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). He tells us to come to Him when we are weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:28). Even the Scriptures themselves, though they bear witness to the life of Jesus, cannot produce His life. We must come to Him to have life (see John 5:39–40). Nothing in the doctrine of what we call Christianity can, in and of itself, substitute for the life we draw uniquely from Jesus. We are as strong and invulnerable to spiritual attack as we are close to Him.

Because the enemy knows it is our nearness to God that produces our strength, the first stage of his attack involves a preliminary deception that makes us feel as if we are cut off from Christ. The moment we accept this illusion of detachment, the devil is disarming us.

Yet it takes little more than our passive acceptance to keep us trapped. Passivity does not feel like sin; it does not specifically violate any of the Ten Commandments. Its deception is more like a drug that clouds our discernment. Thus, breaking passivity is often the first stage in breaking deception and seeing our hearts released.

I have written This Day We Fight! because I have seen too many Christians who have lost their first love for God. When love grows cold, a door opens in our souls toward darkness. We become vulnerable to other sins. Indeed, Jesus promised that the one who endures to the end, he will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Between now and the end of our lives, we will find many obstacles arrayed before us. Each battle comes like a thief to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). I suggest we examine our lives and take inventory: What have we lost over the years? We may have survived the battles but lost our joy. We may still be attending church, but our vision has grown dim. We may still know God is holy, but our thought-life has become unclean.

We can get our lives back, but we must overcome passivity. We must defeat the illusion that our current condition is our permanent condition.

My prayer is that this book will stimulate your faith once again and that you will be empowered to reengage the battles of life with new zeal and divine wisdom. My hope is not only to expose the nature of a passive, immobilizing spirit, but to inspire us to walk as more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37, niv).

PART 1

Fighting the

Good Fight

The LORD will go forth like a

   warrior,

He will arouse His zeal like a man

   of war.

He will utter a shout, yes, He will

   raise a war cry.

He will prevail against His enemies.

                  Isaiah 42:13

1

The Bronze Bow

The Bible not only reveals to us the nature of God, but it also tells the remarkable stories of those who, in their generation, served God. Concerning the lives of these men and women, the writer of Hebrews says:

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Hebrews 11:32–34

In many ways and in many places God’s Word tells us that, if we will reach true spiritual maturity, we must learn to overcome. I do not mean we will not have peace or rest for our souls, but that along the way we will begin to truly discern the enemy, move in Christ’s authority and learn perseverance in the fight of faith.

If we learn our lessons well, we can see the blessing of God restored to our hearts, our families and even to cities and nations. Do not doubt nor tremble, nor excuse yourself as being too weak. Remember what Hebrews 11 says of those who overcame: from weakness [they] were made strong and they became mighty in war (v. 34).

Let me share with you a little of my story. Although I am not where I will ultimately be in walking out Christ’s victory, I am further along than when I first started. Walking in victory, to me, first means I know God’s promises in His Word; but second, it means I have been trained to have insight into spiritual warfare. Indeed, it was in the midst of battle that the Lord began to develop my sense of discernment.

Revelation through a Dream

I am sure that at various times in my life, I have prayed, Lord, whatever You desire for me, I’m willing. At the same time, I have never specifically asked to know about spiritual warfare. Yet needing discernment was exactly where I found myself back in the mid-1980s. I was pastoring a church that included a number of emotionally needy people and was clearly under-equipped to handle the variety of problems we were facing. In fact, this season had become for me a time of weariness and extended warfare. I needed grace to know the nature of the diverse battles I was fighting.

The breakthrough began in a dream one Friday. I found myself in a barren, one-room house; I was exhausted and trying to rest. Suddenly several church members entered, warning me that our spiritual enemies had returned. Once again, I was needed to engage this demonic horde in battle.

I remember lamenting in the dream, Why am I always called when there is battle? Tired and weary, I stepped outside. I could see a row of enemy warriors on top of a ridge, sitting on horses and looking down in our direction. Someone nearby handed me a bow and arrows. I shot, but my aim wavered, and my arrows, at that distance, all fell short. My depression deepened as I heard the mockery of the enemy warriors, who scorned my attempts to hurt them.

Suddenly the heavens opened, and an outstretched arm handed me a shining, gold-colored bow. (I wish I could have more of these dreams!) As I grasped it, the Word of the Lord rose immediately within me, and I proclaimed, By my God I can bend a bow of bronze! (see Psalm 18:34). Instantly energy surged through my arms, while confidence and courage filled my spirit. I nocked an arrow against the bowstring, aimed and fired toward the opposing warriors.

This time my arrows had distance, penetration and accuracy. The enemy was routed.

The Awareness Grows

That was the dream, and it definitely made an impression. But the Holy Spirit was set on confirming His word to me. Early the next morning, Saturday, I drove to the church to do some work. A letter awaited me. It was sent by a visitor who, after